How to use Client Management Software to Gauge Customer Interests

As a sports facility owner or manager, there’s no excuse to not make an attempt to track your clients’ interests. Your customers are more likely to engage with marketing efforts that directly appeal to them, and an analysis of their interests also provides extremely valuable information to you as a business owner. Here are four simple steps to boost your bottom line by keeping tabs on what your customers want.

1. Choose the Format

In order for you to effectively analyze your clients’ interests, the data should be collected electronically. Sports facility management software like eSoft Planner makes this easy – if you don’t have a software system that allows you to keep track of client information and interests electronically, add the field wherever the rest of your clients’ personal information is located.

Usually, a simple list of checkboxes is sufficient; clients can quickly tick the boxes of the topics they want more information about.

2. Decide Which Interests to List

Take some time to think strategically about which interests to list before you publish your form.

You should have between 6 to 10 interest options that will offer a good selection without overwhelming the client. If the interest checklist is part of an electronic form, consider making the question required and add a “none of these” check box option at the bottom. (If the field is too easy to skip, clients will skip it – especially if it’s part of a form that is already relatively complicated.) If the field is part of a paper form, encourage your staff to remind new clients to fill it out.

If your sports facility offers a wide variety of services, you may need to keep the interests broadly categorized (for example: adult fitness programs, kids programs, moms and babies programs, sports leagues, etc.). If you run a fairly small, interest-specific facility, you can make the list more specific. For example, if you own a batting cage facility, you can gauge your customers interests in the various pitching machines and bats you have available.

3. Choose Both Current Services and Future Services

Client interests are a great way to test the potential viability of a new product or service at your sports facility. At DNA Sports Center, one of the interests I listed was purchasing baseball and softball apparel and equipment at my facility. When more than 60% of my clients indicated that they were interested, I knew I could consider it as a serious option. My pro-shop is opening this month.

4. Require Clients to Frequently Update Their Interests

Make sure that your clients frequently update their interests, especially when new interests are added to the list. eSoft Planner allows you to customize how often your clients are prompted to update their profiles, and you can also export the interests lists easily for e-mail marketing purposes.